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Today I had the pleasure of talking with Todd Greer of Synervision - The Leadership Foundation for their weekly interview series. As usual, as soon as the interview wrapped, I immediately felt remorse for what was left unsaid. I have no right to claim that my brain is failing me, but sometimes I swear I am failing my brain. One of the big questions Todd asked me was about the challenges facing organizations today; especially as it pertains to experience for their customers or members. I can't even remember what over-excited words spilled from my lips, but I know I felt like I had somehow missed out on sharing what I wanted to say. Here's what I'd say if I had the chance all over again. What Challenges Are Facing Associations As It Pertains to Customer Experience?

Most keynotes fail at actually providing learning and retention. Sure, many keynotes are inspirational, motivational and provide an engaging story. And if that’s all we’re looking for from a high-paid professional speaker for a keynote, it works. However, when an organization pays $10,000-$75,000, or even a higher fee, for a 45- to 60-minute message, we expect more. Too many keynotes are filled with exhausted clichés, empty entertainment, and low-importance ideas. ~ Dr. Will Thalheimer. Well, I agree with Dr. Thalheimer! We’ve got to raise the bar…for our paying registrants’ sake. ...But it’s not just keynote speakers that fail at providing learning. And on-the-job performance improvement.

A few months ago I did a presentation about social media analytics for associations. Then Peggy Hoffman asked if I'd come talk about it again at an ASAE Idea Swap in MD, so I spruced up the resources I'd shared a few months ago...and figure I may as well share them here as well. I am in no way a data or analytics guru--I couldn't even play one on TV-- but I do know where to turn to learn that stuff. I also know that social media platforms are constantly evolving, so measuring what's working on an ongoing basis is essential to making sure you're getting the most out of your efforts and can adjust your tactics accordingly as something that used to work well no longer does, or as new platforms come on the scene.

For the March Nonprofit Blog Carnival, we challenged the community to share the best strategies for nonprofits to break through the noise and boy did you deliver! It often seems like the only things breaking through to web audiences today are cat pictures, Buzzfeed lists, and other trivia. If your organization is like most nonprofits then getting your message through to supporters who are increasingly distracted is one of your biggest challenges. Here are some of the creative strategies people shared for breaking through the noise on the right channels, at the right moment, and in ways that inspire your community to take action.

Setting up a social media presence for your cause or organization is not only important, it's essential. With so many platforms available and so many ways to connect, maintaining your organization’s social media can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, the more time you put into creating engaging content and scheduling it in an organized way, the more efficient your job will be. @Home, Kindling Group and See3 recently partnered with the Polk Bros Foundation to do a Social Media Boot Camp with several nonprofit organizations in Chicago that provide services around housing and homelessness. The following are a few lessons we learned on how ways to expand and improve your social media content and engagement.

Ask engaged members when they realized the value of the association and many can tell you the exact moment. For a few members value builds over time but for most members there is a single event or moment when it’s clear to them they made the right decision in joining. The moment new members understand the value of the association is the association’s value trigger point. For many members it was their first conference or event put on by the association. There they met people like them struggling with the same challenges they struggle with. They solved some of their problems listening or connecting with people who have been there, done that. They got support. They felt included. They liked the other attendees. They made some friends. They learned a lot. They met a mentor. They realized they were not alone.

For the past 14 years, I've been working for nonprofits. I've also become active in what we call the "nptech" community—"nptech" being shorthand for "nonprofit technology.” But nonprofits, which comprise about 10% of all US businesses, have wildly diverse business models. To suggest that there is a particular type of technology for nonprofits is akin to saying that all of the businesses in downtown Manhattan have similar technology needs. So what is nonprofit technology? It’s less of a platform and more of a philosophy.

It was hard to believe it when the Council on Foundations announced last week that it was inviting nonprofits to join in a competition at its annual conference next month where groups would publicly suggest their best ideas to win $40,000 for a project to jump-start the economy, nationally or locally. Not only will nonprofits be subjected to "rapid-fire questions" from a panel of philanthropic colleagues, the audience will weigh in, too, and then choose the final winners. Has organized philanthropy jumped the shark? How did it become appropriate to put nonprofits on display in a competitive process to pitch their ideas like carnival barkers?

Most successful companies recognize the value of motivating employees to contribute their time and talent to benefit their community. Often, however, company leaders grapple with the question of how to maximize the benefits of corporate involvement in volunteer efforts of that kind. In 2009, the Credit Suisse Americas Foundation completed a strategic review of its various programs. One of the main findings of that review was that although the foundation had succeeded in engaging junior-level employees in hands-on volunteer projects, there was an opportunity to increase the number of senior-level, client-facing employees who participate in volunteer efforts. To do so, the foundation would need to find a compelling way to engage those senior employees and to help them use their skills on behalf of their community.

The folks at BuzzStream and Fractl conducted a survey with more than 900 respondents to better understand why people unfollow brands on social networks. And the infographic below, titled The Unfollow Algorithm, illustrates what they found. Here's are some key highlights:

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